The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about,
chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by,
bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to his
colony.

“Why are you toiling away?” asked the Grasshopper.

“I am gathering up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and
recommend you do the same.”

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper. “We have
plenty of food at present.”

But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the
winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying
of hunger, while it saw the Ants distributing every day corn and
grain from the stores they had collected.

This angered the Grasshopper, so he called his representative,
a Donkey.

“This is not fair. The Ant has food,” said the Grasshopper,
“and I do not. I should have everything the Ant has.”

“Outrageous!” said the Donkey. “Those evil Ants have profited
too much from their labor and have failed to give you your fair
share.”

And so the Donkey went to the Ant colony and demanded that they
give him all of their corn and grain. The Ants could not resist, and
they gave the Donkey everything. That winter, the Grasshopper and
the Donkey ate well on the Ant’s corn and grain.

The following summer, the Grasshopper saw the Ant. He was sitting
by a leaf sunning himself

“Why aren’t you working?” asked the Grasshopper. “What will I eat
this winter?”

“This winter you shall eat all that you deserve,” said the Ant.

So the Grasshopper returned to his playing, content in the knowledge
that he would get all to which he was entitled, all thanks to the
Donkey.